202: Chapter 203 Special People

Gu City.

Lei Lie stared at those two characters for a long while.

In truth, he really wanted to understand them.

After all, that piece of parchment lay there, densely packed with clues brought back by the scouts.

Horse hooves, wheel tracks, cooking smoke, hidden sentries, branching roads—hundreds of messages had been drawn stroke by stroke by Strategist Zhu Ge, finally resulting in this outcome.

He really needed this kind of ability, and he really wanted to learn it.

But the problem was, he stared until his eyes felt sore, and he could only see that it was drawn very messily; he couldn't make head or tail of anything else.

He was silent for a moment, but couldn't help asking: "Strategist, there is more than one place in the vicinity that can hide people, right? There are over a dozen cities, over a dozen ruined forts, as well as valleys, old post stations, and deserted villages. Why is it specifically Gu City?"

Strategist Zhu Ge heard this and leaned back slightly.

His feather fan also began to wave gently.

There was a slight smile on his face, as if he had finally been waiting for this question.

Seeing this action, Lei Lie's eyelids twitched violently.

The next moment, just as Strategist Zhu Ge opened his mouth, Lei Lie raised his hand to block him.

"Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop..."

Strategist Zhu Ge was taken aback.

The deputy generals in the hall were also stunned.

Lei Lie pressed his hand down, as if suppressing his own forehead which was already starting to ache.

"Strategist, I suddenly don't want to know anymore."

The smile in Strategist Zhu Ge's eyes deepened: "But Minister just asked why."

"That was just now," Lei Lie said in a muffled voice. "Now, seeing you lean back and wave your fan, I know that what you are about to say definitely won't be short!"

Upon hearing this, the deputy generals all lowered their heads in unison.

Someone's mouth twitched, but they forced themselves to hold it back.

Lei Lie didn't feel embarrassed; instead, he spoke righteously:

"I've figured it out during this time. If you state the result directly, it means there is a real emergency. If you smile and start waving your fan, it means there are at least three, four, or five layers of meaning hidden inside."

At this point, Lei Lie raised his hand and pointed to his own head.

"My brain has already exploded from listening to hundreds of scouts reporting back. Even if you explain it to me again, I might not understand. Even if I barely manage to understand, once we start fighting, I'll still have to rely on my blade to do the talking."

Strategist Zhu Ge's tone was sincere: "I can try my best to keep it brief."

Lei Lie still shook his head firmly.

"Your 'brief' explanation, for me, wouldn't be short at all."

This time, someone in the hall finally couldn't hold it back and burst out laughing.

Like a muffled fart.

Lei Lie turned his head and glared at them.

The deputy general immediately straightened his face and stood even straighter than before.

Strategist Zhu Ge looked at Lei Lie, the smile not fading, but instead gaining a few degrees of gentleness.

Lei Lie didn't want to hear the process.

This did not mean he didn't trust him.

On the contrary, it was because he already trusted him enough, which was why he couldn't be bothered to trap himself in that pile of clues.

On the battlefield, everyone has their own job to do.

Strategist Zhu Ge is responsible for organizing hundreds of chaotic threads into a single point.

Lei Lie is responsible for piercing through that point.

Lei Lie composed his expression, and his voice suddenly deepened.

"Strategist, just tell me what to do next."

"Do we fight, or do we not?"

"If we fight, when do we fight?"

The feather fan in Strategist Zhu Ge's hand stopped.

The hall also quieted down.

All the deputy generals looked up.

Strategist Zhu Ge looked at Gu City on the parchment and said softly: "Fight."

Lei Lie's eyes lit up.

Strategist Zhu Ge added: "Immediately."

As those two words fell, Lei Lie's whole body seemed to be tightened up again.

He stood up abruptly.

The legs of his chair scraped against the floor, making a short, sharp sound.

"General Zhang Tie."

"The subordinate is here!"

"Gather your troops and follow me as the vanguard."

"Yes!"

"The rest of the forces, advance in the directions marked by the Strategist. Do not get bogged down in fighting, do not be greedy for the city, and do not chase scattered soldiers. Whoever dares to run around without authorization, I will cut them down first."

The generals responded in unison.

After speaking, Lei Lie turned to look at Strategist Zhu Ge.

Strategist Zhu Ge added only one sentence.

"Split the troops into four paths, push from all four gates simultaneously. After breaking the city, seal the Sound Transmission Array, Teleportation Array, main hall, and Granary all at the same time."

Lei Lie grinned.

"Understood!"

He grabbed the long blade beside him and turned to walk out.

The hall door opened, and cold wind blew in.

Outside the door, the Flower City army, which had just rested for a short while, was on the move once again.

...

Flower City, City Lord's Mansion.

Zhou Yun had not sat so quietly for a long time.

The sounds outside the window had not stopped for a single moment.

Footsteps, the sound of wheels, the voices of minor officials calling people, the sound of children being soothed after crying, the crisp clatter of wooden plaques hitting each other, and the occasional cry of "Next household!" coming from the direction of the Medical Tent in the distance.

The commoners from the Ten Cities were still pouring into the city endlessly.

From the city gates to the settlement areas, from the Medical Tent to the grain distribution sheds, from the occupation registration office to the temporary employment counters, the entire Flower City was like a giant net being stretched out.

Every single thread was taut.

Wan'er stood in front of the desk, holding a newly compiled roster in her hands.

"City Lord, the population of the Ten Cities is larger than we initially estimated."

Zhou Yun looked up at her.

Wan'er opened the register, her voice remaining steady.

"The population currently moved into Flower City is about one-tenth of the total population of the Ten Cities."

She paused.

"There are already one hundred thousand people."

Zhou Yun's fingertips paused lightly on the desk surface.

One hundred thousand people.

This number is heavy.

It is approximately equal to half the original population of Flower City.

Even for the current Flower City, one cannot just open the gates and let people in and call it a day.

One hundred thousand people need to eat, drink water, have a place to live, see a doctor, register, be diverted, and find a way to make a living.

The elderly and children need care, the young and strong need to be assigned work, the minor officials from the old cities need to be screened, surrendered soldiers need to be investigated, craftsmen need to be connected with work, and those who are literate need to be assigned to the clerical line.

Each and every one of these things cannot be solved by a single word: "Accepted."

Wan'er continued: "Currently, relying on the Granary reserves and the preliminary plans, we can still manage. But this is only one-tenth. If the subsequent population continues to pour in, food, medicinal materials, cloth, housing, water usage, household registration, and occupation diversion will all become pressing issues simultaneously."

Speaking to this point, she closed the register.

"In the short term, the administrative line can still hold up."

This sentence was spoken very softly.

But Zhou Yun understood.

Holding up does not mean it is easy.

It's just that Wan'er wouldn't put her hardships in front of him to talk about.

Zhou Yun looked at her for a while, then suddenly smiled.

"More people is a good thing."

Wan'er looked up.

Zhou Yun said: "One hundred thousand people coming in brings not only one hundred thousand mouths. There are also one hundred thousand pairs of hands, one hundred thousand types of experiences, and one hundred thousand paths to survival."

He picked up a wooden plaque from the desk; it was carved with 'East District 5, Shed 37'.

That was the shed number that a newly migrated household had just collected; an extra sample plaque was carved during registration and sent to the City Lord's Mansion.

Zhou Yun's fingertips slowly wiped across the edge of the wooden plaque.

"However, regarding basic supplies, there is no need to worry."

Wan'er did not ask how he would solve it.

Having known each other for so long, she had already witnessed many of Zhou Yun's miraculous feats.

She just lowered her head and replied: "Yes."

Zhou Yun put the wooden plaque back.

"Is there anything else?"

Wan'er hesitated for a breath.

This hesitation was very short.

Short enough that if it were someone else, they might not have noticed it at all.

Zhou Yun saw it.

"Speak."

Only then did Wan'er say: "There is indeed one more matter that requires the City Lord's approval."

Zhou Yun was a bit surprised.

During this period, after the commoners from the Ten Cities entered the city, almost all matters, big and small, were handled by Wan'er.

Things that could be solved by rules, she would not send to the City Lord's Mansion. Things that she could judge herself, she would not specifically come to ask.

Now that Wan'er said it required approval, it meant that this matter was not ordinary.

Wan'er said: "Among the newly migrated citizens, a small group of people have proposed that they want to be self-employed."

Zhou Yun smiled.

"This is a good thing."

"According to Flower City's customs, as long as it is clearly registered, is not illegal, and does not disturb the people, it should be supported."

Wan'er nodded.

"The subordinate thought the same. Under normal circumstances, following the custom would suffice."

She placed another thin roster on the desk.

"However, this time, a few rather special people have appeared."

Zhou Yun reached out and took the roster.

On the first page, there was a name, followed by their occupation.

Appraiser.

Wan'er said: "One of the new citizens is an Appraiser. He wants to open an appraisal shop in Flower City. This person has the ability to identify unknown items, but the Appraisal Hammer he relies on for his livelihood was lost during the migration."

Zhou Yun's action of turning the page stopped.

Wan'er continued: "Flower City once captured an Appraisal Hammer in Qing City, and it is still in the Granary. So if the City Lord allows..."

"Give it to him."

Before Wan'er could finish her sentence, Zhou Yun had already spoken.

Wan'er paused slightly.

Zhou Yun put down the roster, his tone very natural.

"It's just an Appraisal Hammer. For this kind of matter, you can make the decision."

Wan'er lowered her head: "Yes."

Zhou Yun looked at her.

"Anything else?"

Wan'er said: "There are four more people waiting outside the mansion. The subordinate believes that it would be best for the City Lord to see these four people in person."

Zhou Yun was now genuinely a bit curious.

Wan'er felt she could handle an Appraisal Hammer on her own.

Being able to make her bring people to the City Lord's Mansion meant that the value of those four, or rather, the things they needed, had already exceeded the scope of ordinary self-employment.

"Please invite them in."

Wan'er turned to give the order.

Very quickly, the minor official from outside the mansion led four people inside.

When the four people entered the door, their footsteps were very light.

So light that it didn't seem like they were here to seek an audience with the City Lord, but more like they were afraid of stepping on and breaking the floor tiles of the City Lord's Mansion.

Walking at the very front was a woman, about thirty years old, wearing a robe that had been washed until it was faded.

That robe must have once been a Magic Potion Master's robe; there were faint elemental patterns on the cuffs, but the edges were severely worn, and many places had already been patched.

Behind her was a thin man, his hands tucked into his sleeves, with faint scorch marks on his knuckles left by years of contact with alchemical fire.

The third person was slightly older, carrying an old medicine chest on his back; the edges of the medicine chest were worn shiny, and the shoulder straps had been replaced several times, with varying shades of color.

The last person was the youngest, looking to be in his early twenties; after entering the door, he hadn't really raised his head much.

In his hand, he clutched a small cloth bag, the bag crumpled from being gripped tightly, as if it contained his last bit of confidence.

The four of them bowed in unison.

"Greetings, City Lord."

The voices were uneven.

The woman at the front could barely steady herself, while the young man at the end said it almost entirely in his throat.

Zhou Yun did not rush to ask.

He first raised his hand to signal them to rise.

"There is no need to be nervous. Wan'er said that you want to be self-employed in Flower City."

The woman took a deep breath and stepped out first.

"Reporting to City Lord, this commoner is a Bronze Rank Magic Potion Master."

After saying this, there was not much pride on her face; instead, she was even more uneasy.

Bronze Rank.

It sounds quite high.

But a Magic Potion Master is different from a combat class.

She has no way to charge into battle on the battlefield, nor can she heal at will like a priest. What she can do is take magic stones, Spiritual Plants, clear water, and elemental powder, and mix them little by little into potions.

Other things might be fine.

The key point is, magic stones are very expensive!

This means that what she does is very money-burning!

And compared to that, the effect of the potions she currently produces at the Bronze Rank is very difficult to match with the input.

When she was in her original city, the City Lord would give her some magic stones.

Not many.

Every time she had to wait, and it would take a long time to receive a few.

But no matter how few, there was always something to look forward to.

Now that she has arrived at Flower City, her heart has been hanging in suspense.

If no one is willing to continue providing magic stones, she, a Bronze Rank Magic Potion Master, might not even be as good as a strong laborer who can move wood.

She said in a low voice: "This commoner wants to open a potion workshop. If conditions allow in the future, I would also like to slowly build my own magic tower. But potion research requires magic stones for support, and magic stones are expensive. This commoner does not dare to ask for too much, only asking that the City Lord allow this commoner to withdraw a small amount of magic stones monthly."

By the end, her voice lowered.

"This commoner is willing to hand over all the potions refined to Flower City for handling."

Zhou Yun nodded, did not evaluate immediately, and turned his gaze to the second person.

The thin man's lips moved.

With the Magic Potion Master speaking first, he should have been more relaxed.

But he was even more nervous.

Because he was even lower than her.

"This commoner... this commoner is an Alchemist."

He paused, as if afraid Zhou Yun would misunderstand, and quickly added another sentence.

"Black Iron Rank."

As the two words fell, his head also lowered.

A Black Iron Rank Alchemist, the effect of the Medicinal Pill refined is limited.

Hemostasis pills can only stop small wounds, and Qi-replenishing pills can only replenish a little bit of consumption.

Sometimes, the cost of a single Medicinal Pill calculated out is even higher than the fee for hiring a priest to take action.

In the old city, he had heard the words "chicken rib" too many times.

Having heard it so much, even he felt that he was like a chicken rib.

"At the current stage, most of the medicinal herbs needed for this commoner's Alchemy are just ordinary herbs. But if I want to truly open the furnace, I still need a small amount of Black Iron Rank Spirit Medicine as the main ingredient."

The more he spoke, the lower his voice became.

"This commoner knows that Spirit Medicine is precious, so I only want to ask for a little bit first. When the Medicinal Pill is refined, this commoner is willing to repay it at a discounted price according to Flower City's rules."

The third Healer carrying the medicine chest heard this, and his face was already a bit pale.

He originally thought he had an advantage.

Flower City has Medical Tents and priests, but no truly opened civilian Medical Clinic.

With so many new citizens entering the city, the elderly, children, the chronically ill, and the weak must all need a Healer.

He felt he could be of help.

But as soon as the Alchemist spoke, he immediately felt insecure.

Because he also needed Spirit Medicine.

When a Healer treats an illness, ordinary herbs can certainly be used.

But some illnesses drag on too long, and some injuries are too deep; without Spirit Medicine to regulate, it simply cannot be suppressed.

Thinking of this, he finally felt a bit more confident.

He moved half a step forward with the medicine chest on his back.

"This commoner... is a Black Iron Rank Healer."

...